Down House: The Evolution of Darwin’s Home
Dean Aldemaro Romero
Down House was the residency for Charles Darwin and his family for the last 40 years of his
life. There he wrote almost all of his books and scientific papers including The Origin of Species
by Means of Natural Selection. An examination of his correspondence, archival material such as
drawings and pictures as well as first-hand accounts by witnesses gives us a portrait of how
Darwin lived and how his habits influenced his scholarship. I conclude that although he was
reclusive he was not a workaholic and that residing in the countryside without having to earn a
living allowed him to be productive which helped him to deal with his chronic bad health.